I love Rachel Reid and her fictional hockey players. Did I love The Shots You Take? No, I didn't. But I liked it. The characters are compelling, the setting is different from what we've read in the past, and the secondish chance plot is convincing but needed a bit more space to develop. I didn't like how Adam treated Riley in their past or the much too quick resumption of their friendship and romance once Riley forgave him. I think many readers will feel the same. I just don't think a novel of this length allows for enough groveling to satisfy readers - even ones who like the second chance premise. And I would argue this isn't really a second chance, anyway. This is Adam's first chance at being the person Riley deserved from the start.

I liked it and I would recommend it - especially if you are a Rachel Reid fan, but with reservations if you aren't..

I was very excited to get this ARC. I have only read one other book by this author and I enjoyed that one quite a bit but I kept hearing such great things about her other books, that I wanted to read more. This book did not disappoint. It was even better than the previous one I read.

It was wonderful to see a second chance romance with older protagonists--both Adam and Riley are in their early 40s and I can't tell you how much I loved that. This book explores not only identity but also grief, finding ones place in the world, relationships. growing into who you are, and becoming comfortable with that person. It was warm and romantic, both funny and profoundly sad. The exploration of grief and loss--loss not only of a loved one but also of ones preconceived notions, ones family, ones sense of self, ones control of life and lived experiences, truly resonated. I ached so much for both the MCs at various parts of the story and I couldn't keep the smile off my face at other moments. The story has a maturity and depth to it, layered and complicated. I loved the dual narrative and the moving back and forth in time, following Adam and Riley's relationship from its early days. I loved that it followed a non linear progression that revealed more as the story progressed.
Absolutely beautiful storytelling. First love, forever love, second chances, family, home, and comfort all deliberated on in this book. The grief and mental health issues were deftly handled.

Highly recommended.

What I enjoyed the most about this story was how realistic and complicated the emotional journeys were for each character. Big feelings are weird and confusing! I didn't love how we got to the resolution but the characters were likeable.

Alright, well I sobbed through this entire book. And let me tell you, Adam is one heck of a lucky guy because if a man laughed in my face when I told him I loved him, it certainly wouldn’t be me letting him come back time and time again.
That being said, Adam definitely redeemed himself, and I’m glad Riley didn’t give in when he showed up at his Dad’s funeral.
Overall, The Shots You Take was such a bittersweet read.

In some ways, this feels like the what-if version of other Rachel Reid books: what if these characters didn't work out their feelings in time; what if life got in the way and separated them; what if they had to spend time apart and learning who they are on their own? With a slight twist on the kinds of stories she explored in her Game Changers series, Reid creates an emotional, memorable relationship between two men who have just never been able to stay away from each other.

In many ways, this is a story about loss: the loss of Riley's father, the loss of who Adam spent his life pretending he was, and, of course, the loss of their friendship for over a decade. But all that loss makes their love story feel so earned; after all this time, after everything they've been through, they're both still at their best when they're together.

Adam and Riley were best friends and teammates who played for the same NHL team. The two had a complicated friends with benefits relationship, but they haven’t seen or talked to each other in 12 years. Adam shows up in Riley’s hometown on the worst day of his life determined to be there for him and wanting to make amends for how things ended between them years ago.

I really enjoyed this one! Adam definitely made some really rough decisions in the past, and my heart broke for Riley in both timelines. But- I feel like I could empathize with where Adam was coming from, and I was really rooting for them to reconnect.

I love a good second chance romance, and this one has quickly become a favourite.

That being said, even though this book does deal with some heavier emotions, it doesn’t feel like a sad book. It felt very hopeful to me, and some parts even had me cracking up.

Adam and Riley played professional hockey together over a decade ago, were best friends and roommates but they were also a bit more than that. After having a falling out and not talking for 12 years, they find each other in the same place at the same time when Adam comes to see Riley after the death of his father. Will Riley be able to make amends with the man who broke his heart, or will his fear of living through it all over again stop him from giving Adam the chance he desperately wants?

I was so excited when I saw that Rachel Reid was coming out with a new book and I really enjoyed this one. Riley and Adam are so great together and I really love how complex and realistic their feelings are, how their relationship is with each other, and with the other members of Riley’s small town. The imagery was great and felt like I could actually picture the town, the the shop, and Riley’s very thoughtfully decorated house. Overall, loved this story and would definitely recommend! Perfect for fans of many tropes including: small town, sports, and second chance.

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes because I love the history, there's no insta-love and you can often see how much characters have grown.

I definitely enjoyed this, but throughout the entire book I just felt really put off by the timing of Adam reappearing in Riley's life.

Had it been literally anything other than a parent's funeral, I may have been more accepting, but to not speak to someone for YEARS after laughing in their face when they told you they loved you and then confessing your love when they are at their most vulnerable and broken felt wrong.

Another winner from Rachel Reid!

This book was such a breath of fresh air, which says a lot considering its yet another MM Hockey Romance (which isn't a bad thing!)

I devoured this one in a couple of sittings. This was such an easy read with just the right amount of angst, fluff and spice - hehe. I loved it!

4 stars rounded up from 3.5, I was very conflicted on my feelings about Adam and how he treated Riley in the past. My heart went out to Riley the entire time, we meet him right as he’s laying his dad to rest and then Adam shows up for the first time in over a decade and I don’t blame Riley for being pissed at all. I appreciate the growth Adam had but man it was hard to read some of it, I found myself commiserating with Riley, who is a better person than me because I don’t think I would have been able to forgive Adam. Anyway, second chance at first love for both of them, hockey romance though the hockey was more in flashbacks since both MMCs are in their early 40s. I did find myself smiling at the epilogue.

This is a second chance romance about retired NHL players, and it’s set in small town Nova Scotia!!

This was frustrating at first because of the way Adam hurt Riley in the past, I wasn’t sure if I could forgive him. However I found myself rooting for them and I especially wanted Riley to find his happiness. Adam definitely had character growth but I wanted more acknowledgment of the pain he caused Riley and how much that affected him. I felt the ending was super quick but I liked the epilogue to see how they ended up. Overall I did find their romance to be super sweet and I enjoyed the small town aspects and side characters.

4/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️ MM
(ARC)

OK, this was absolutely delightful. Thank you for the ARC!
Second chance romance & both MMC’s are in their 40s 🙌🏽
Riley & Adam were hockey team mates & best friends with benefits in their 20s. Riley confessed his love for Adam & in turn, Adam gets married to a woman & has 2 kids. Riley quits hockey & moves back to his hometown, cutting all communication with Adam.
12 years later, Riley’s father passes away & Adam comes back to support him. He’s divorced now & has accepted he’s gay. Riley doesn’t trust him. But soon, Adam begins to show Riley that he knows what he let go, & how much he still cares.

I saw a lot of reviews pissed off at Adam for breaking Riley’s heart. I think he was a scared 20 year professional sports star who had very deep internalized homophobia.
My ONLY dislike was Adam’s relationship w/ his kids. I wish we had seen more of them. But his ex wife was amazing!

his is my first book by Reid and I was absolutely sucked into this story and the characters. The way the story was told hit the heart strings in all the right ways. The story lines of grief, sexual acceptance, addiction and found family were all done in such a beautiful and simple way.

The arc and character growth of the two main characters is what truly made me fall in love with this book. Shep and Riles both learned to accept parts of themselves because the other was there with them. The way that they yearned for one another’s touch and waiting to hear the other call out their special nickname…swoon worthy!

Yes, this book centers around two hockey players, but this book is so much more than a hockey romance. If you are looking for a MM romance that will play with your heart strings, please don’t delay and pick this one up!

Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for this gifted copy of “The Shots You Take”.

I thought I was done with hockey romance, but I’m actually just a liar! I’m so delighted by this book and am ready for the next one hehe.

Loved loved loved. This is a sad hockey boy romance, full of grief, second chances, and redemption. My heart ached for Riley but I loved seeing our sad hockey boys get the happily ever after they deserved.

I am a grudge holder, while I love Rachel Reid's other works, I don't usually like second-chance romances. Adam did Riley very wrong in the past, and I am the person who will hold on to grudges for my friends. So I spent a lot of the book being pissed at Adam for Riley. He grew on me a bit and I kinda wanted them to make up and be in each other's lives, but every time Adam made a move on Riley, I wanted to slap him and tell him to slow the hell down.
All of this to say I still did enjoy reading The Shots You Take, I spent most of the book angry on Riley's behalf BECAUSE he's so well written. The unfortunate thing about second-chance romances is how fast they unfortunately have to move on from the past. There are so many other fabulous parts of this book so I was able to ignore how much I wasn't digging the romance. I loved so much else about this book, particularly Riley's queer friend group. Darren and Tom are living my dream life. every march when get a taste of making apple syrup I want to live/work on a queer maple syrup farm in Canada, and that's their life! Bea and Nell are lesbian bee farmers( and one has pink hair and!! same hair!!!)! I loved them all. Rachel Reid writes beautifully and I love so much about her stories, I might not have loved this romance but I still found some joy in it.

The Shots You Take is a down-to-earth second-chance romance. While technically a sports romance, this book is more of a reflective piece, taking place after both Riley and Adam retire.

Reid treats grieving and recovering lost trust as long-term processes. I really appreciate how these traumas are handled. No amount of insta-love or other romance novel magic can patch up that kind of bone-deep hurt. Riley and Adam have a very long road ahead of them, but they just may be worth the journey.

I love how this book acknowledges the toxicity in hockey culture (and toxic masculinity in general) while remaining hopeful for a more accepting future. It takes a similar approach to mental illness and wellness. I closed this book feeling that hope in my own heart.

Bonus points for Lucky. 10/10 good dog.

I'm grateful for the chance to check out this book for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

The Shots You Take is for readers who love a second-chance sports romance featuring leads in their 40s (yay!) who must work through grief, past hurts, and uncertainty of public perception to find their happily ever after. Riley and Adam are former roommates and former teammates for Toronto's hockey team. After almost a decade apart - and Adam's marriage with two kids - Adam ends up back in Riley's orbit for Riley's father's funeral. It's an (understandable) slow burn, with flashbacks to to their past intertwined with current times, heartfelt and heartwarming, spicy and swoony. I adored this romance and highly recommend it! Thank you to Harlequin - Carina for the advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

I’m getting annoyed with the characters. This book started off good but it’s getting to be an insufferable experience. DNF @ 200 pages. The only reason I pushed through to 200 is to get points for a readathon.

The Shots You Take, by Rachel Reid

This novel was a sweet & sexy second chance romance of 2’retired hockey players who are battered and bruised in body and heart.

Adam and Riley, former hockey players had a clandestine relationship, where one fell in love and the other - f$@ked it all up. Years later the two reconnect after Riley’s dad dies. What follows is a heart journey full of heartbreaking and heart warming moments.

I loved how Rachel finds new ways to bring hockey romance to readers. This time, retired and 40+ with all its aches and pains. All of which is paired with Rachel’s love for hockey! I love Canadian authors,‘especially those with a full hockey heart!

Thank you NetGalley, Rachel and the publishers for my gifted arc!